AP Photo/Julio CortezCiryl Gane and Derrick Lewis will be fighting for the UFC interim Heavyweight title at UFC 265 in Aug. 7. UFC President Dana White confirmed this to Brett Okamoto, ESPN.Okamoto reports that Francis Ngannou is the promotion’s heavyweight champion. However, UFC chose to fight an interim champion fight as it could not schedule a June or august bout for the titleholder.Ngannou responded to the news by:Marquel Martin, Ngannou’s agent, described the development as a complete shock.Martin stated, "To make an interim title as soon, if you take a look at the history this division, it comes off as surprising." "We are hopeful that we can get clarity soon and come up with something with the UFC."Ngannou wasn’t the only one asking questions about UFC’s decision.Ngannou did not spend a lot of time in the Octagon between 2019-2020, but he had three fights that lasted a total 1:57. He just beat Stipe Movic for the heavyweight title at UFC 260.Miocic, on the other hand, fought only once per year in 2019, 2020, and 2021. However, UFC decided against holding any interim champion fights.It's clear that Lewis and Gane deserve the chance to win the gold. They are ranked second and third in the heavyweight rankings, respectively.Lewis has a winning streak of four fights, with the most recent victory over Curtis Blaydes at UFC Fight Night 185. Gane has won nine professional fights unbeaten and was unanimously victorious over Alexander Volkov at UFC Fight Night 190.No matter their credentials, UFC's perception of Ngannou's treatment is likely to be the storyline surrounding UFC 265.
